Author(s):
Virginie <andre@icbl.org> .
geneva,
Sunday 19 June 2005
1. ICBL
The chair of the ICBL’s Treaty Working Group, Steve Goose of Human Rights Watch (HRW), spoke about interpretation issues (Art. 1), mines retained for training (Art. 3), and compliance concerns (Art. 8), especially with respect to mine clearance obligations (Art. 5). Mark Hiznay of HRW gave a presentation on mines that function like antipersonnel mines (Art. 2). Goose described the inability of States Parties to reach common understandings on these articles as well some of their “greatest failures” from the past five years of work. HRW prepared Landmine Monitor Fact Sheets on these subjects for the June 2005 intersessionals. The ICRC gave a comprehensive presentation on national implementation measures (Art. 9). The meeting concluded by discussion preparations for the next meeting, the week-long Sixth Meeting of States Parties scheduled to open on 28 November 2005 in Zagreb, Croatia.
2. Issues of Concern
- Libya’s ambassador to Geneva gave the government’s usual statement detailing its problems with the Mine Ban Treaty despite its hosting on 12 May 2005 of a symposium in Tripoli in which these problems were not highlighted by the government.
- Australia stated that its national legislation permits its armed forces to provide security to non-States Parties engaged in prohibited acts (Art. 1).
- No government spoke on compliance (Art. 8), one (Australia) spoke under Article 1 and only a couple spoke on mines functioning like antipersonnel mines (Art. 2).
3. Highlights
- In Friday’s session the committee continued to hear statements from States Parties on mines retained for training (Art. 3). Many governments responded to the request made under Action Point 54 of the Nairobi Action Plan that they provide details on the intended purposes and actual uses of antipersonnel mines retained for training (Argentina, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Burundi, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Japan, Macedonia FYR, Mexico, Namibia, and the Netherlands).
- Australia and, for the first time, Argentina gave good statements on mines that function like antipersonnel mines.
- Libya announced its intent to initiate demining of its borders with Chad and Egypt.
- Several governments made comments on the ICRC’s Article 9 presentation including Argentina, Australia, Chile, Trinidad & Tobago, and Turkey, while the Australian Netword responded to the Australian government statement.
4. Quote of the Day
“Multi-purpose firing devices are the Swiss army knives of ordnance.”
Mark Hiznay, Human Rights Watch
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